Providing a semiconductor fabricating apparatus using a laser crystallization technique for enhancing the processing efficiency for substrate and for increasing the mobility of a semiconductor film. The semiconductor fabricating apparatus of multi-chamber system includes a film formation equipment for forming a semiconductor film, and a laser irradiation equipment. The laser irradiation equipment includes first means for controlling a laser irradiation position relative to an irradiation object, second means (laser oscillator) for emitting laser light, third means (optical system) for processing or converging the laser light, and fourth means for controlling the oscillation of the second means and for controlling the first means in a manner that a beam spot of the laser light processed by the third means may cover a place determined based on data on a mask configuration (pattern information).
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A manufacturing method for a semiconductor device having thin film transistors comprising: forming an amorphous semiconductor film on an insulating surface; forming a marker on the amorphous semiconductor film; selectively irradiating a laser light to perform crystallization to a region in which active layers of the thin film transistors are formed, based on information on arrangement of the thin film transistors with the marker used as a reference, and a direction in which the laser light is relatively moved on the amorphous semiconductor film is parallel to a direction in which carriers move in channel formation regions in the thin film transistors, wherein the amorphous semiconductor film is melted over entire thickness thereof through irradiation of the laser light.
2. A manufacturing method for a semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein a solid laser oscillation apparatus is used as a light source for the laser light.
3. A manufacturing method for a semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein at least one or a plurality of kinds selected from the group consisting of a YAG laser oscillation apparatus, a YVO 4 laser oscillation apparatus, a YLF laser oscillation apparatus, a YAlO 3 laser oscillation apparatus, a glass laser oscillation apparatus, a ruby laser oscillation apparatus, an alexandrite laser oscillation apparatus, a sapphire laser oscillation apparatus, and a forsterite laser oscillation apparatus are used as a light source for the laser light.
4. A manufacturing method for a semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein the laser light is a second harmonic, a third harmonic, or a fourth harmonic.
5. A manufacturing method for a semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein the laser light is converged onto the amorphous semiconductor film through a cylindrical lens.
6. A manufacturing method for a semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein a relative movement direction of the spot on the amorphous semiconductor film is perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the spot.
7. A manufacturing method for a semiconductor device having thin film transistors comprising: forming an amorphous semiconductor film on an insulating surface; forming a marker on the amorphous semiconductor film; determining a direction in which a spot of a laser light is relatively moved so as to be parallel to a direction in which carriers move in channel formation regions of the thin film transistors, based on information on arrangement of the thin film transistors with the marker used as a reference; and selectively irradiating the laser light to perform crystallization to a region in which active layers of the thin film transistors are formed, based on information on arrangement of the thin film transistors with the marker used as a reference, wherein the amorphous semiconductor film is melted over entire thickness thereof through irradiation of the laser light.
8. A manufacturing method for a semiconductor device according to claim 7 , wherein a solid laser oscillation apparatus is used as a light source for the laser light.
9. A manufacturing method for a semiconductor device according to claim 7 , wherein at least one or a plurality of kinds selected from the group consisting of a YAG laser oscillation apparatus, a YVO 4 laser oscillation apparatus, a YLF laser oscillation apparatus, a YAlO 3 laser oscillation apparatus, a glass laser oscillation apparatus, a ruby laser oscillation apparatus, an alexandrite laser oscillation apparatus, a sapphire laser oscillation apparatus, and a forsterite laser oscillation apparatus are used as a light source for the laser light.
10. A manufacturing method for a semiconductor device according to claim 7 , wherein the laser light is a second harmonic, a third harmonic, or a fourth harmonic.
11. A manufacturing method for a semiconductor device according to claim 7 , wherein the laser light is converged onto the amorphous semiconductor film through a cylindrical lens.
12. A manufacturing method for a semiconductor device according to claim 7 , wherein a relative movement direction of the spot on the amorphous semiconductor film is perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the spot.
13. A manufacturing method for a semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein the laser light is a laser light of pulse oscillation.
14. A manufacturing method for a semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein the laser light is a laser light of continuous oscillation.
15. A manufacturing method for a semiconductor device according to claim 7 , wherein the laser light is a laser light of pulse oscillation.
16. A manufacturing method for a semiconductor device according to claim 7 , wherein the laser light is a laser light of continuous oscillation.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
March 8, 2006
October 21, 2008
Browse 5M+ US patents with plain-English claim translations and AI-generated analysis.